Federal Education & Professional Training Minister Shafqat Mahmood has announced that the government will expand and promote quality education in the country with a missionary zeal. He stated this while addressing the concluding session of the 2nd Annual National Graduate conference, held at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Wednesday that deliberated upon the topic of Need Of Multi-Disciplinary Research In 21st Century. Minister Shafqat Mahmood said, “We have taken it as a our mission to bring a maximum number of drop-out children in the educational net, while making the education meaningful and beneficial for the society’s overall development.” While highlighting the challenges faced by the newly elected government, the minister commended AIOU for taking care of marginalised sections of the society and promoting meaningful research under the leadership of AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Shahid Siddiqui. He said it was a pleasant surprise for him to know that the AIOU was providing free educational facilities to deprived sections of the society in a big way and those also included prisoners and transgender group. Shafqat Mahmood noted that the AIOU has emerged as a viable and an excellent educational institution, reaching out to a huge number of people, through distance learning system. It was heartening to note that the university in the recent years has concentrated on research that has made its role more significant in the current scenario. He assured full support of his Ministry to the AIOU in its educational pursuits. About educational challenges ahead, the minister said they had to serve the less-privileged sections of the people, bringing education to their door-steps, including through non-formal education. It is painful that around 25 million children are out of school and they are deprived of their basic right of education. It will be their endeavour to make a remarkable progress in expanding the educational facilities, with the use of new technology. Published in Daily Times, August 30th 2018.